


Bird in the Hand

by infectedscrew



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Exhaustion, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 02:44:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6782191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infectedscrew/pseuds/infectedscrew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim worked to distract himself. Unfortunately, he was working himself to death.</p><p>(Note: May Not Be Continued)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bird in the Hand

That churning, harsh feeling in his stomach could have been nerves or it could have been from a five solid days without sleep. Or possibly the two days without a full meal. Although he had been nibbling on protein bars. No, he’d place it on nerves.

Missions, even after this many years, were still a massive source of adrenaline.

“Red, you should take a break,” Oracle warned into his ear.

Tim shook his head a split second before he remembered that Oracle couldn’t see him, for once. “No.”

“You’ve been on surveillance for four hours. If nothing has happened now–”

“It might happen any minute. I’m not taking a break. Has my computer cracked the files on The Roman’s computer?” Tim asked, voice clipped and effcient.

There was a sigh and a pause. “It’s half way. But you’re not by the North End. You’re by–”

“The Snakes, I know. Thank you for telling me.”

“Don’t snip. I was only pointing out the fact that you’re running on multiple cases again. Aren’t you?” When Tim didn’t reply Barbara sighed heavily, again. “Tim, you can’t keep doing multiples. Not even Bruce could do that.”

Tim resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I’m fine. I’m not processing that many.”

“Oh really? How many.”

Another long silence passed between them before he answered, “six.”

“Six?! Are you insane? Tim, you can’t–!”

“Someone is moving out. I’ll check back.”

Tim’s line went dead before Barbara could get in a comment about interrupting elders. She shook her head at the screen. She’d have to keep a careful eye on Tim. Work kept him distracted from bigger problems, she knew that for a fact. But it was going to kill him if he didn’t slow himself down.

Tim stole down from his perch. He’d been following this new gang for weeks. Another contender hoping to get a foot hold in the drug scene. So far, The Snakes had been rather successful. Despite their juvenile name, they’d managed to take over a large portion of the South End and were putting even the Red Hood’s rings on edge.

They needed to be taken out soon.

But, like with any case, there needed to be evidence first. Tonight had been the first time anything good had appeared. If the kidnapping of a rich man’s daughter could be considered good.

Pushing the vague wisps of exhaustion aside, Tim pulled himself onto the roof top of the run down apartment building. He’d studied every level of The Snake’s headquarters. There was nothing he didn’t know about.

The six guards canvassing the streets. The twelve inside, split evenly among the four floors. And three more with the leader, Nikolai Astarov, who had holed himself up in the basement with Felicia Dei.

Or was it two more with Nikolai?

Tim shook his head, clearing his thoughts. With a tightened jaw, he slipped into the ventilation shaft. He’d let it carry him all the way down to the basement. No need to take on the twelve guards unless he seriously needed to.

Reaching the final grate, he paused to quietly work it out of place. From this angle he could only hear Nikolai, not see him. He set the grate aside and dropped silently into the room.

Ducking behind old, crumbling shelving he realized three very important things all at about the same time. First, he was very, very, very, wrong. Second, Felicia Dei wasn’t getting out of this alive. And finally, all six of the extra guards were armed.

The churning in his stomach was most certainly from nerves now. The muscle twitched and flipped, reminding him that even if he did find a way to retch, there was nothing that could possibly come out.

Tim bit down on his tongue, forcing his nerves into another way to stay awake. If he hadn’t slacked off, if he hadn’t been lazy and had been more focused Felicia wouldn’t be dead. It only solidified the fact that he needed to finish the other five cases quickly. Sleep could wait, unless he wanted another failure.

Carefully, he slipped a few gas balls out of his belt. The guards needed to be distracted. Shoving aside the needs his body begged for, Tim launched into action.

Parts of the following moments were very unclear to Tim. He couldn’t remember when the gas had exploded or when his staff had gotten into his hand. All he knew was the satisfying crunch as metal connected with bone and bodies hit the floor.

He barely registered the shattering gun shots that echoed in the small spaces. The ricochet that tore at his uniform and muscle didn’t click in his thoughts. Red Robin had better things to analyze. Like how to remove the final two guards before they got out of the room.

Dimly, he’s aware of his hand snapping forward and the metal discs flying out of his hands. With detachment that only sleep deprivation could provide, he watched one of the guards stumble and slam to the ground. The man’s ankle was twisted strangely but Tim couldn’t remember how it had gotten that way.

Only thing that brought his memories and world back to a single point was the explosion of pain in his mid section. Tim looked down, as if fascinated, as he watched the bullet tear out of his stomach.

Well, the churning had stopped.

Tim turned slowly.

There were seven living people in the room, only six of them were guards. Tim had only gotten rid of six guards.

Another mistake.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Red Bird,” Nikolai stated. He was young and his hands shook as he aimed the gun at Tim for a second time. Clearly, he’d never fired before. “I just didn’t think you’d be here so soon.”

Tim frowned. Soon? He was late.

Felicia was… He glanced at her. She was just fine. Yet another mistake to add to the report.

Nikolai waved the gun. “Turn around and get out. Otherwise the girl dies.”

A cruel laugh escaped Tim. “Please. You can’t even aim,” he drawled with a venom that wasn’t anywhere close to his normal state. His leg shot out before he really told himself to move. The toe of his boot caught the man’s wrist, snapping it.

Nikolai shrieked in pain, clutching his wrist. Tim jerked forward, his knee crunching against the man’s chin and tossing him backward.

“Felicia?” Tim asked, moving to kneel next to the girl. She was very still, face bloodied and breathing shallow. “Felicia.

She stared at him with wild eyes. She didn’t see a hero, despite the fact he was untying her bonds. This Red Robin was spurred by nothing at all and fought with a fluidity that was inhuman. As soon as her arms and legs were free, she scrambled away from him. In her frantic mind, she was just as dangerous as the men who had brought her here.

"I’m going to help you,” he said, but the blank tone of voice wasn’t reassuring.

When he reached out, she reacted violently, her elbow catching the already bleeding wound in his stomach.

Tim nearly blacked out at the pain it brought him. He reeled back from her, vision swimming dangerously. “O-oracle?” He breathed. “I’ve got Felicia, call the cops.”

“Red? Are you okay? What about Nikolai?”

Tim shook his head, forgetting that she couldn’t see. His throat tightened and bile he didn’t even know he possessed hit the back of his tongue. He struggled to his feet. There was no way he was going to try and touch Felicia again. He’d learned his lesson.

But he could wait for the cops with her, just in case.

For just a second he closed his eyes; to regain focus, he told himself. Or, at least, he thought it was a second. When he opened them again, sirens were wailing outside of the building and a very familiar form was stepping through the doorway.

“Bru… Batman?” Tim barely managed to correct himself. “What are you doing here? I’ve got it under control.” His speech came out garbled and distorted. His vision was doing something very strange. He’d ended up on his knees, but he wasn’t sure how.

Batman moved far too quickly for Tim to really handle. The famous vigilante was suddenly much closer than Tim could process.

“Jesus,” Batman breathed. What he was cursing for, Tim didn’t quite know. “Oracle, call Alfred. He’s got one hell of a job tonight.”

“Why? Felicia’s fine and the cops are here,” Tim mumbled.

Batman shook his head and moved toward Tim but what happened after that, Tim didn’t quite remember.


End file.
